VP's son joins Ukrainian gas firm

Hunter Biden, the youngest son of Vice President Joe Biden, has joined the board of Burisma Holdings, the largest private gas producer in Ukraine.

Biden landed the job just days after his father urged political leaders in Kiev to develop energy independence from Russia amid ongoing tensions.

"There's no reason why you cannot be energy secure," Biden said in Ukraine on April 22. "And we stand ready to assist you in reaching that. Imagine where you'd be today if you were able to tell Russia: 'Keep your gas.' It would be a very different world you'd be facing today."

Biden, who is a lawyer, will run the company's legal unit and provide support for Burisma "among international organizations," the company said in a press release.

A spokeswoman for the vice president dismissed any suggestion of a conflict.

"Hunter Biden is a private citizen and a lawyer," spokeswoman Kendra Barkoff said. "The Vice President does not endorse any particular company and has no involvement with this company. For any additional questions, I refer you to Hunter's office."

In a written statement, Alan Apter, chairman of Burisma Holdings' board said, "The company's strategy is aimed at the strongest concentration of professional staff and the introduction of best corporate practices, and we're delighted that Mr. Biden is joining us to help us achieve these goals,"

Biden is a counsel to the New York-based law firm Boies, Schiller & Flexner, a managing partner of the investment advisory firm Rosemont Seneca Partners and a professor in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.

"Burisma's track record of innovations and industry leadership in the field of natural gas means that it can be a strong driver of a strong economy in Ukraine," Biden said in a written statement.